Gen. Draper statue turns 100

Friday

Sep 21, 2012 at 12:01 AMSep 21, 2012 at 9:04 PM

For 100 years, a 25-foot-high bronze statue of local Civil War general, statesman and businessman William Draper has presided over a downtown park. On Sunday, local historians will hold a celebration in front of the statue to commemorate the history and many feats of the multi-faceted Milford man.

Derek McLean/Daily News staff

For 100 years, a 25-foot-high bronze statue of local Civil War general, statesman and businessman William Draper has presided over a downtown park.

On Sunday, local historians will hold a celebration in front of the statue to commemorate the history and many feats of the multi-faceted Milford man.

"It’s awesome to have such a historic statue. ... It's a great way to drive into town," said Anne Lamontagne, secretary for the Milford Historical Society. "It honors a well respected gentleman and leader."

Draper was born in Lowell in 1842 and at age 11 moved to a section of Milford that eventually became Hopedale, said Lamontagne.

He is the grandson of Ira Draper who in 1816 founded Hopedale’s Draper Corp., which created looms for machines that made cotton and other fabrics.

At the age of 19, Draper enlisted into the U.S. Army, earning the rank of brigadier general during the Civil War, said Lamontagne. He fought in more than a dozen famed battles that include the battle of Roanoke Island, New Berne, the Siege of Fredericksburg, the Battle of the Wilderness, Blaine’s Crossroads, the Siege of Vicksburg, the second battle of the Weldon Railroad, and the defense of Knoxville.

After the war, Draper went to work at his grandfather’s company. By the mid-to-late 1800s, his father George Draper was running the company. After George Draper's death in 1887, William Draper was appointed president of the company, a position he held until he retired in 1907, said Lamontagne.

Hopedale historian Dan Malloy said that while running the company, Draper "pushed the idea of research and development."

Malloyo said the company under Draper's watch created an automatically interchangeable loom, which became the company’s staple product. He said that the product was sold to "tens of thousands" of customers around the world.

"He was an amazing guy," said Malloy.

Lamontagne said that while Draper led the company, he also began a successful political career. In 1893 he was elected as a member of the U.S. Congress, in which he served until 1897. He was then appointed the ambassador to Italy before retiring from politics in 1900.

"He was a great leader between fighting a war, running his business, and his political life," said Lamontagne.

In 1910, Draper died in Washington, D.C., at the age of 67. He left behind his wife, Susan Preston Draper, and five children.

To commemorate her late husband, Susan Preston Draper in 1912 hired famed sculptor, Daniel Chester French, for $50,000 to create the statue. French was the premier "sculptor of his day," said Lamontagne. His most notable work includes the the Minute Man statue in Concord and the Lincoln Memorial.

Susan Preston Draper then purchased the downtown park area where the statue is located for $10,000 and gave it as a gift to the town, said Lamontagne.

In September 1912, Milford held a ceremony at the park, while the statue and its large granite base were delivered to the town by train, she said. Today, a World War I memorial is located at Draper Park, and the annual Memorial Day remembrance is held there.

Sunday’s 100-year anniversary celebration of the statue will begin at 2 p.m.

Lamontagne said that several of Draper’s direct descendants will make their way to Milford from across the country to speak at the event.

Derek McLean can be reached at 508-634-7582 or dmclean@wickedlocal.com.

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